Southern Moderate African American Issues

Georgia Election Summit: Put It On the Table

Everyone has agendas this election year and there is much to sort out. My agenda is based on the best interest of Georgia and the South but the word trump has always been a cornerstone of this blog.

To me, some factors “trump” other factors and the factors of race, faith, region, country, money, and gender can be prioritized 100 different ways by 100 different people. For example, a local congressional candidate from a different party knows person X’s interest better than a candidate from X’s party from the other side of the area. At the end of the day, Colin Powell and Condi Rice care more about Black people than the Red party. Actually, they joined the Red party because in their hearts they felt they were helping every American.

If I won the sweepstakes, I would use some of that money to convene a summit on the Black agenda for this election year in middle Georgia. The meeting would include folks from both major political parties and of every racial background. While the “Changing Mindset” outline found as a tab at the top of this blog would be the central theme, some other matters need to be put on the table.

Voter Suppression: It’s clear that some leaders of the GOP plan to counterbalance changing demographics by making it hard for certain people to vote. President Obama recent comments on this topic should be heard.

Georgia 2nd Congressional District race: As quiet as it is kept, many Black Republicans know that the voter suppression efforts from their party is hogwash. These good Americans believe that the conservative agenda is in the best interest of everyone and that silly tricks and shady methods drive reasonable people away from their party.

GOP primary voters have the opportunity to select a candidate, Vivian Childs, who might plant the seeds that change the whole political arena. Let’s be honest, the GOP often pushes Black candidates who seem a little bland on the Black hand side. With the trump matter in mind, Vivian Childs, Andrew and Deborah Honeycutt, Karen Bogans in Savannah and Michael Murphy are Black Georgians who are conservative but they lived in the Black world, attend Black churches, and likely have Black gold fish. I personally saw Mrs. Childs in fellowship with her sorority sister, the ladies of Delta Sigma Theta.

Fraternity and sorority trumps political party in my community and you can best believe that the Childs campaign will never function in a way that dishonors her bond. Okay, I worked for Rep. Sanford Bishop and I was dumfounded by the ugliness of some previous campaigns—hell, if they kept the debate civic they would have won. Childs vs. Bishop would have a residual benefit of showing how to disagree without being disagreeable.

President Obama On the Ballot: Oh yea, the primary this spring and the general election in the fall are referendums on the president in some way. The Republicans want control of the U.S. Senate because with both houses of Congress they can make the rest of his hair gray. If the Senate candidates are constantly attacking Obamacare, their election is a vote on Obamacare. To me, the people who elected Obama in the first place should vote this year also.

Senate Candidate Breakdown: I want to put a few points about these candidates on the table…as I see it.

Michelle Nunn– Don’t sleep….she can win. While she will be running from Obama, she can’t win without a massive pro-Obama turnout. Her father wasn’t big on being a political party person and hopefully is the same way. She might do well with suburb Atlanta GOP soccer moms.

Paul Broun– The Democrats so so so very much want him to be the GOP nom because he has a record of being ugly to candidate and President Obama. He would drive large numbers of ify voters to the polls for the dems and the national fundraising for Nunn would be huge courtesy of his youtube videos.

Jack Kingston– If region trumps party with me, Kingston is the people’s champ from south Georgia. Georgia political power is now centered in north Georgia and that is scary because you can count the Black folks up there. Jack served Black Savannah and Savannah State University for years and dude has lived in part-time in D.C. Because he likes to play that Andy Griffin role, Kingston knows Black and White rural Georgia inside and out. The economic engines of our state outside of Atlanta are agriculture and military. Those Tea Party people would cut both of those areas to the bone but Jack knows what’s up. He should come to our summit and explain that statement about free lunch kids cleaning the schools.

Karen Handel– She would hold the GOP women vote against Nunn. She should play up her hard knock life story. Who knew that she attended Fredrick Douglas High School in suburban D.C. The lady was chair of the Fulton County Commission. Her campaign clearly doesn’t want to tap her potential support in our community. Did I mention that she went to Doug?

David Perdue– this political newcomer is was balling in the private sector. Perdue was CEO at Reebok and at Dollar General. DG sure brings revitalization to some rough areas and heaven knows the jobs are needed. His campaign website contains a list of companies he has helped: Rockport, Hanes, Levi’s, Polo, Coach, and Greg Norman. I kid you not; I can get dress in a Polo shirt, a pair of Levis, Hanes drawers, old Rockport Dressports, and Greg Norman footies. Look for forward to Dems asking if these companies gave back to our communities.

Governor race: This race will be a referendum on Governor Nathan Deal and the GOP in the state houses refusal to expand Medicaid under Obamacare. We need to hear the GOP alternative to Obamacare because current the uninsured are using the emergency room as a doctor’s office and that’s costly.

State House and State Senate: With secondary regard for party, stay on your state legislators’ behinds because voter suppression and stand your ground start with them.